of brooklyn



I of pigment Patented Nov. 9, 19 26;

UNITED sm;

TES P rsu'r OFFICE,

EDWARD r. Hie-ems, or BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO JOS. H. MEYER BROS.

INQ, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK,

A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

mrnrion MOTHEROF-PEARL AND rnocnss on MAKING THE SAME,

No Drawing.

This invention relates to imitation motherof-pearl and the process of making the same. The object of the invention is to provide a plastic composition in imitation of motherf of-pearl and having therein. the peculiar Wavy sheen or lustre-effects which is characteristic of the genuine mother-of-pearl, the Wavy sheen or lustre effects being indiscriminately interspersed throughout the compo- 1 sition. J

In my pending application Serial- No. 672,470, filed -.November 3, 1923, I have shown, described and claimed an apparatus for and process of manufacturing, imitation l mother-of-pearl, wherein apigmeht is in :corporated in and uniformly distributed 'tliro'ughouta, massof plastic material,- and this mass :is then so manipulated as to cause the incorporated and distributed particles to become laid or disposed in a w particular manner to give a substantially uniform directional trend thereto. The mass so treated, in the form of .thin sheets, is stacked into a pile and the pile compressed 'under heat and pressure into a homogeneous mass, and is ready for the market, or it may besheeted into th fployed in the fab inerc-i'al articles. According to th rication ofvarious come mode of procedure set 1" forth and claimed in my application above identified, after the desired pigment is g thorou hly incorporated in and distributed "throng out the plastic massythe mass is so as manipulated as today or dispose the part'if-l-jlt'icles of pigment in a substantially uniform directional-trend. One way of accomplish- ;in'gfthat result is. disclosed in said applica- --;.t'ion,= ,whereby the mass containing the in eoilrolr-porated and distributed pigment particle's, for example, fish, scale pigment, is

' heated or cooked to duced to a state of more or less fluidity or flowing plasticity. While in this state the fluid mass is forced by means of a piston plunger operatingiin' a chamber containing the said mass, and, Whil'e'still maintained underheat; through a diehaving a slit oi -.o pening*io t"fixed restricted area. Thisre- 6o] s'u'ltl'sfinextruding the mass in the form of a v ;.Zfi in sheetoi body which is ironed or calen- .dered';.=-: --]:1iis1 ironing or calendering action ,aases..jthe particles of P g ent contained -in -t'h c l-mass to become'laid' or disposed.

seam... 9 "fl er-less uniform d rec i na t end- Application filed March 8,

in sheets which are em the ezgtent of being're- 1924. Serial mi. 697,714.

The sheets thus produced. are then piled into a stack which is subjected wheat and pressure to form the same into a solid homogeneous block or cake. This block or cake is then sheeted into thin sheetswhich when sufficiently dried are ready for the market or for use in making various commercial articlesa I have discovered that a superior and more beautiful and delicate product is attained, and one which more closely resembles the genuine "mother-of-pearl, by producing at indiscriminately 'inters ersed points or locations in the roduct, t e Wavy lines of lustre or sheen e ects which are characteris 'tic of the genuine mother-of-pearl, and 1- 'have. discovered that this characteristic wavy lines of sheen or lustreeffect can be produced by relatively varyingthe character in some one or more respects of the thin sheets which are stacked or .piled for compression into the homogeneous cake or block, preparatory to sheeting into the thin sheets for fabrieating into commercial articles, and then interspersing such relatively diifering sheets indiscriminately in said stack or. pile.

.According' to my present invention, I propose 'tofintroduce at some point in the operation above described a more or less temporary variation in. the procedure, and to distribute at various points in the, stack orpile the thin sheets produced by the temporary variations, so that'when the stack or pile" is pressed into 'a homogeneous block or cake and then sheetedinto thin sheets, 90 suchsheets will reveal a wavy sheen or lustre eife'ct at indiscriminately positioned location's therein which imparts a highly pleasing and beautiful appearance more nearly approaching the characteristic sheen and lustre of the enuine mother-of-pearl.

I have found that this Wavy efiect may be secured in yarious ways. According" to one method, the stack or pile of thin sheets to be formed under heat and pressure is built 100' up with som thin sheets produced at one f the fluid mass through other thin sheets indisinterspersed in the stack or pile,

d at a di-fierent rate "of speed of 106 the die is increased so as to effect the extrusion at a-rate such that there is failure to thoroughly or uniformly iron the surface while others of the sheets in the pile are more thoroughly ironed or calendered.

The same result may be obtained by maintaining a constant pressure and speed of extrusion but varying the temperature ofvthe die to impart the relatively different char-' acteristics to the sheets to be stacked up in the pile.

Still another way 0f accomplishing the re-.

sult consists in employlng extruded sheets of relatively different thicknesses in building upthe stack or pile.

According to another method, the stack or pile is built up of indiscriminatel positioned sheets which are extruded tli truding pressure and temperature remaining the same.

, Another methodconsists in relatively varyin the plasticity of the compositions from which .the thin sheets are produced, as, for example, by varying the amount of solvent ermitted to remain in the inass by subjecting the same to a longer or shorter period of rollin operation.

In or er to secure the variegated effects referred to, I may also employ for indiscriminately located layers in the stack or pile, small piecesfor sections of one or another of the relatively varying sheets pro-- duced by any of the methods referred to.

The resulting product in the form of a thin sheet into which the homogeneously pressed stack or pile is cut or slit, possesses the beautiful, delicate, irregularly dispersed wavy sheen or lustre eifects which very close- I claim as new and useful, and of my own invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:-{ Y

1.' In the manufacture of imitation mother-of-pearl, the process which consists in stacking, into a pile indiscriminately sheets of plastic material containing light reflecting igment particles with faces or facets, sai sheets having relatively different light reflecting characteristics, and pressing such P118 into a homogeneous body,

2'.-I'n .the manufacture of imitation .mdther-ofspeerl, the process which consists rough dies of relatively difierent lengths, the exaecaceo in stacking into a pile vindiscriminately reflecting pigment particles with faces or facets, said sheets having relatively different light reflecting characteristics, presssheets of plastic material containing light ing such pile into a homogeneous body, and

then severing such body into sheets.

3. In the manufacture of imitation mother-of-pearl, the process which consists in stacking into a pile sheets of plastic'material containing light reflecting pigment particles with faces or facets, said sheets iaving relatively different characteristics in indiscriminate relation'to each. other, and pressing such pile into a homogeneous body.

4. In' the manufacture of imitation mother-of-pearl, the process which consists in stacking into a pile sheets of plasticrma- I terial containing light reflecting pigment particles with faces or facets, said sheets having relatively different light reflecting characteristics in indiscriminate relation to each other, pressing such pile into a homo-v geneous body, and thensevering such body into sheets. j y

5. In the manufacture of imitation products the process which consists in iiicorporating a pigment'having particles with lightzreflecting faces or facets intoa mass of plastic-material, then forming the mass into thin sheets having relatively different light reflecting characteristics, then stacking said sheets in indiscriminate relation into a pile, and pressing the pile into a homogeneous bod 6. In the manufacture ofimitation products, the process which consists in incorporating a pigment having particles with light reflecting faces or facets into a massof plastic material, then forming the mass into thin sheets having relatively different char:- acteristics of dispo'sition of said .faces or facets, then stacking said sheets -in indiscriminate relat on into a pile, pressing the pile into a homogeneous body, and then severing the-body sheets. i I

7. The process which consists in stacking into a pile thin sheets of plastic composition containing light reflecting pigmentparticles with faces or facets, said sheets having relatively ,difiering light reflecting characteristics in indiscriminate relation to each other and compressing such pile into an homogeneous mass.

8. The process which consistsin stacking into apile thin sheets of plastic composition containing light reflecting pigment particles with faces or facets, said sheets having relatively differing light reflecting char-' acteristics in indiscriminate relation to each other, compressing such pile into an homogeneous mass, and sheeting the resulting mass into thin sheets.

9. The process which consists in" indiscrimjnately "assembling sheets of 7 plastic lHi ill

ing surfaces, said sheets having relatively differing light reflecting characteristics, and

forming such assembly into an homogeneous mass.

10. The process which consists in indiscriminately assembling sheets Y of plastic composition containing light reflecting pigment particles of relatively differing disposition in the respective sheets, forming such.

assembly into an homogeneous mass, andv sheeting the same into thin sheets.

11. The process which consists in indis-, cri-minately assen'lbling sheets of plastic composition having pigment material of light reflecting particles incorporated therein, and possessing relatively differing light reflecting characteristics, and forming such assembly into an homogeneous mass.

12. The process which consists in. indiscriminately assembling sheets of plasticcompos1tion having pigment material 0011- taining light reflecting particles incorporated therein, and possessing relativelydiffering light reflecting dispositions of said particles forming such assembly into an homogeneous mass, and sheeting such mass into thin sheets.

13. In the manufacture'of imitation products, the process which consists in disposing thelight reflecting faces or facets of particles of pigment contained in a plastic mass in unidirectional trend, then disposing the faces or facets of pigment particles of another mass in a relatively different directional trend, and assembling said masses into a homogeneous body. I

14. In the manufacture of imitation produ ts, the process which consists is disposing the faces or facets of particles of pigment contained in a plastic mass in unidirectional trend. then disposing the faces or facets of pigment particles of another mass in a relatively different directional trend, assembling said masses into a homogeneous body, and sheeting said body into thin sheets.

'15. in the manufacture of imitation product the process which consists indisposing the faces or facets of particles of pigment contained in a plastic mass in unidirectional trend. then disposing the faces or facets of pigment particles of another mass in a relatively different directional trend, assembling said masses in indisrrin'iinate relation, and forming the a sembly into a homogeneo is body.

16. In the manufacture of imitation products, the process which consists in disposing the faces or facets of particles of pigment contained in a plastic mass in unidirectional trend, then disposing the faces or facets of pigment particles of another mass in a relatively different directional trend, assembling said masses in indiscriminate relation, forming the assembly into a homogeneous body,

and sheeting said body into thin sheets.

17. As a new article of manufacture, a composition of matter containing pigment particles having. light reflecting faces or facets disposed to form interspersed Wavy.

lines of sheen or-lustre therein.

.18. As a new article of manufacture, a plastic composition containing pigment particles having light reflecting faces or facets disposed to form indiscriminately interspersed wavy lines of sheen or lustre effects therein.

19. As a new article of manufacture, -a plastic composition containing pigment particles having light reflecting faces or facets disposed to form wavy-lines of sheen or lustre effects arranged in groups.

20. As' a new article of manufacture, a plastic composition containing pigment particles having light reflecting faces or facets disposed to form wavy lines of sheen or lustre effects arranged in indiscriminately dispersed groups.

9.1. As a new'article of manufacture, a

plastic composition containing pigment particles having light reflecting faces or facets disposed to form wavy lines of sheen or lustre therein.

22. As a new article of manufacture, a

plastic body having pigment particles with light reflecting faces or facets incorporated therein and disposed in varying directions of trend.

23. Artificial mother-of-pearl comprising a plastic body having particles of fish scale pigment incorporated therein and disposed in relatively varying directions of trend.

24. A homogeneous plastic body composed of a plurality of amalgamated thin sheets each having pigment particles with light reflecting faces or facets incorporated therein,

the faces or facets of the pigment particles in one sheet having a relatively different directional trend from those of another sheet. i

25. Artificial mother-of-pearl composed of a plurality of thin sheets of plastic material each having particles of fish scale pigment incorporated therein. the light. reflecting.

faces or facets of said particles in one sheet varying in direction of trend from that of the faces or facets of particles in another sheet.

26. A plastic body in the form of a thin sheet consisting in a plurality of homogeneously united portions of plastic material coir taining pigment particles having light reflecting faces or facets, the directional trend of the faces or facets of said particles vary ing in the various plastic material portions.

'27. -Artificial mother-ofpearl in the form of a thin sheet consisting of a plurality of homogeneously united portions of plastic material containing particles of fish scale ill) . L pigment, the directional trend of the light reflecting faces or facets of said particles differing in the various plastic material portions.

28. Process of manufacture of substances having a nacreous appearance, and the like,

consisting in placing in suspension in i a' trans mrent plastic substance a material composed of corpuscles forming ninute reflec: tors, -1Il produclng a systelnatlc orientation of the said corpuscles, and immobilizing the said corpuscles in this orientation by the solidification of the said substance, in forming the mass-thus obtained into constructive.

elements, in juxtaposing a plurality of such elements so as to obtain different orientations of the various elements, and in causing the.

EDWARD FfHIGGINS. 

